Midnight Hours

[Adrian Bennett]

Her words cut him like a knife, but he didn't respond. He wanted to tell her that it was only that kind of world if people let it, but it seemed pointless. And even in his jaded, cynical mind, he couldn't quite let himself hope for things to be different. He wanted to. Desperately. But he couldn't. He didn't think he could take the disappointment. This world was already filled with so much shit that having hope was asking for having death follow you around.

When her face appeared right in front of his, Adrian's cheek flushed crimson read and he blinked in surprise. He was glad he managed to keep the squeak from escaping his closed lips. His entire body tensed and when she moved away, he realized that he'd been holding his breath. Letting it out slowly, he leaned back with a huff. "Funny," he replied feebly. "It doesn't shield you from the cold, but it gives you the needed height to spy dangers coming. Besides," he said as he nodded towards a small hatch maybe a few feet away from them. "That leads to a small loft. It's not big and it's certainly not comfortable, but hey. At least the only thing that'll bother you are coach roaches."

Pressing his thighs against his chest, Adrian wrapped his arms around his feet and rested his chin on top of his knees. He could hear the sounds of the fight coming from below, but he doubted anyone would think to look up on the roof for people. They'd be far too focused on the people below. Besides, he'd never met a rational Doomed in all his life. And yet, here he was... Making irrational choices.

[Deleted]

    Selina smirked at his reaction and was tempted to just lean forward and kiss him, but she didn't. She was amused by just how much of an effect she had on him though. As he explained, she nodded. She always wore layers when she knew she'd be out late anyway. Not like she was dressed to stay the night, but still, she wouldn't freeze too quickly. "You know to stay warm..." she offered with a light grin. She was only partially serious, because it really would actually help maintain heat and while she loved the cold, she didn't love it so much that she wanted to risk illness and losing her job from it. 

    "At least they're full of protein," she added with a shrug. Yes, she had had to resort to many things while growing up poor. It wasn't something she was exactly proud of, but she'd done what she had to. Most people did. At least she hadn't yet tasted human flesh. She'd known a few who'd tried though, and she didn't hold it against them. She glanced over at this kid and wondered just how far he'd gone himself, not like she'd ask though.

    Selina sighed as she glanced up at the door and wondered if she was really contemplating staying here with him. It was up out of the fighting, no one was likely to come up here, and she couldn't think of any reason why she'd want to risk going back down there other than the thought of sleeping in comfort, which wasn't exactly that high on her list of priorities considering her history and how many times she'd slept on a floor.

[Adrian Bennett]

He didn't need to even look at her for the crimson red flush to spread over his face and down his neck. Bowing his head, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'll make do," he said feebly, laughing nervously as he shook his head. Why was she doing this? He was sure there were far better guys (or girls) she could put her efforts on and not some random boy she first thought was a child. Then again, it probably wouldn't have made much sense to him even if she explained it to him.

"I s'pose." He looked over at her - only for a brief moment before looking away. Hey, people had to make do with what they got. Eating insects weren't nearly as weird now as he figured it must have been seventy years ago. Desperate times called for desperate means.

Leaning back, Adrian propped his head up on his arms as he stared at the sky. This was stupid. The moment he fell asleep, she would either rob him or kill him. He wasn't sure which of the two was worse, but neither seemed very appealing. Not that he had a whole lot to steal, save for a small pocket knife tucked away inside his boot. And she made him so uncomfortable too. Just a small comment and his cheeks burned and he felt jittery and awkward. It made him lose focus. He didn't like it at all, and yet, he couldn't help but to like the girl. Not like-like her of course, but she seemed brilliant. There was far too few people like that around anymore. "Hey... Why'd you do it? Come up here, I mean?"

[Deleted]

    Selina laughed and shook her head, "Alright, I'm not even talking about sex by the way, I'm just talking about two humans helping each other out when it gets fucking cold," she offered sincerely. Human body warmth was important, regardless of how innocent you were. Seriously, this kid would one day die of the cold because he was too scared to get close to a girl. Selina merely shrugged though, it was his choice. Besides, she didn't think tonight would get too dangerously low. 

    Selina met his eyes as he glanced at her, mirth and amusement mixed in her gaze. He looked away incredibly quickly though. Too bad, he had handsome features, even if they made him look young. Selina sat up and watched him in interest as he stared up at the sky. He seemed to almost fear her... though in a different way than most people. He hadn't yet seen what she could do to the human body when she was hell bent on destroying it, he would likely look at her quite differently if he had. She wasn't sure if she wanted that or not. Did she actively want him to fear her? Not right now... and perhaps not at all.

    Selina sighed as he asked her the question she wasn't quite ready to answer, but she replied anyway, "Because it's the simplest way to go right now. It's also the safest. Not to worry, I'm using you for my own selfish purposes," she assured him with a smirk. 

[Adrian Bennett]

He looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, not daring to look directly at her, since he felt his cheeks burn again. "I know," he lied. Well, at least she'd cleared that up, he supposed. Not that it made things less awkward for him, but he could see the logic behind her words. But lying cuddled up next to someone he barely new hardly sounded like a very good idea. That was the kind of foolishness that got you killed.

Her response had the boy smiling. "Gotcha." That was a safe answer too. It had no obvious ulterior motives and didn't bring out any other questions to his mind. He didn't know what he'd thought she'd reply, but he was satisfied wit the answer he got. Turning his head, he caught her staring at him and he furrowed his brows. "What?" he asked.

It was amazing how someone could make him feel equally comfortable and uncomfortable all at once. He should have known better, sure, but something about the girl just told him he wasn't dying anytime soon. Which honestly, only should have let him to believe that he was. It was stupid. Real stupid. He needed to get his head checked out.

[Deleted]

    Selina laughed and shook her head, "If you say so," she teased. She glanced up at the sky on her own and smiled. The way she saw it, two people using each other for the same purpose wouldn't have much to fear from the other, but she could understand his point of view. Besides, she could be intimidating sometimes, not that she ever had a mind to change that.  

    Selina grinned, "Which also means that I won't likely kill you, since you're so useful," she teased. "Or at least, not before morning," she added with a playful smile. She was somewhat trying to put him at ease, not that her words were exactly comforting in nature, but then, she had a sneaking suspicion that if she had tried to actually be comforting she would have come across as scary... or a liar. 

    Selina blinked when he spoke to her, having not quite realized that she'd been staring, "I'm not sure really. I suppose I'm still trying to figure you out. Are you planning on staying up here with me?" she asked in sheer curiosity. He had somewhere he could go, of that she was almost certain, so why on earth was he willing to sit up here in the cold with a stranger? She hadn't been particularly kind or gentle, as it just wasn't in her nature, so what the hell made him do it? She didn't really suspect ulterior motives from him either, as he'd had multiple chances to pull something if he'd felt like it... not that she would have let him. 

    Was that it? Was he waiting for her to fall asleep before he... what robbed her? He didn't seem like the type to kill or molest. Besides, it wouldn't really makes sense for him to try anything sexually since she'd already made an offer. He could be a thief... not that she had much other than her gun that he could steal. She honestly didn't think he would though. He seemed too genuine for it, which was a rare trait to find these days. 

[Adrian Bennett]

Tossing her a sideways glance, Adrian couldn't help but to chuckle. "Yeah?" he nodded. "Well, that's good to know." He rested his head against his knees again and closed his eyes for a brief moment. No, he wouldn't claim her words had been comforting, but that was just it, though. That was what put his mind to ease. He had a feeling the girl wouldn't lie and even so, she'd probably kick his ass easily enough, so he didn't see a reason as to why she would be lying. Sure, Adrian wasn't nearly as weak as his body might have given the impression of. He was strong after years of working out and lifting objects - along with running around. But that wasn't his strong suit. He wasn't a fighter.

Tilting his head, Adrian chewed on the inside of his cheek before shrugging. "I'd say that's my safest bet. These people down there are gonna attract an awful lot of attention pretty soon. I wouldn't wanna get caught in that mess," he sighed, turning his gaze up towards the sky once more. It seemed logical to him - even if it was stupid to stay around someone you didn't know. But she was better than a group of angry survivors and whatever else they attracted. And well.. He wasn't sure how good he'd feel about leaving her here all alone. Yeah, she could take care of herself much better than he could, but still. "Not much to figure out here, Princess," he offered with a half-smile.

Sometimes Adrian wished he could be as heartless as most people seemed to be around here. They often seemed like they didn't have a care in the world, while he, cared far too much. He took pity on people and didn't enjoy seeing people suffer, even if that meant giving what little he had. He knew it would eventually get him killed. He envied people who'd lost everything and everyone they had, and that in turn, made him feel horrible and selfish. Of course he didn't wish for his sister to die - or Oliver for that matter, but he couldn't help but to wonder if it would have been easier if he just stopped caring.

With a sigh, Adrian pushed himself up to his feet and started towards the hatch. He made sure to keep himself somewhat crouched down to avoid being detected by the people on the ground. Once he reached it, he started feeling with his fingers for a way to open the hatch. "Besides," he began, looking at the girl over his shoulder. "Even if I did try something, as I'm sure you've already considered, I think we both know who would come out if the victor." And that wouldn't be him.

[Deleted]

    Selina smirked and nodded to him, "Anything for you," she teased as she glanced down into the streets below. "And to keep away from them," she admitted more honestly. She didn't mind being upfront with this guy, especially since they were in the same situation. Besides, he already knew she wasn't looking to deal with a mess that probably involved Doomed. 


    Selina nodded in agreement, "That sounds perfectly reasonable." She knew that wasn't the whole story, but let it go. They were strangers after all. Besides, she wasn't exactly one to be totally honest either. But if he was staying with her... "Not to be pushy or anything, but honestly, if you trust me not to stab you while you sleep a few feet away, why would you be so against sleeping together? We can sleep back to back if it makes you feel better, but seriously, I'm not looking forward to braving the cold if I don't have to." Selina was pragmatic to her core and she wasn't trying anything with him.

     "I won't molest you in your sleep either. I promise. I require fully consenting and awake partners for that sort of thing," she added sincerely, though she couldn't quite help the smirk that crossed her features at the end of it. "We're just using each other for a night so we don't freeze, sound alright?" she asked as she watched him in interest. It would be the last time she asked, but she was really not wanting to have to curl up in a ball and shiver the entire night if she didn't have to. She could probably make a pitiable expression and use puppy eyes to move his softer heart, but she wasn't really in the mood to put on a show. 


    "Do we?" she asked with a teasing grin. "Because there might be a way for both of us to win if you tried something the right way," she teased. Ok, so she couldn't resist. But really, he shouldn't give her such lovely openings if he didn't want to be teased. 

[Adrian Bennett]

"Thank you, Princess. It's awfully kind of you to help out a needy stranger in this shiethole." He grinned at her. Well, at least he managed to return back to his former wits - not that he really had any to begin with, but hey. At least he wasn't blushing or stuttering like some damn fool. That had to be progress. Oh, where was Oliver when he needed to see that Adrian wasn't all that awkward...?

Adrian's smile immediately faltered at her question and he pursed his lips. He chewed on it for a while, thinking of any good excuse to come up with that could explain exactly why he didn't want to sleep huddled up against the girl. But really, he couldn't come up with anything. Shrugging his shoulders, he offered her a sheepish smile. "Hey, in this world ya have to be careful, y'know? Don't wanna contract any lice. Lemme just tell you, this one kid I met, he had it bad. Like real bad. Looked like he was about to scratch his head off. Now, I don't mind a good scratch, but I quite fancy my hair." And he was rambling. Wonderful.

He looked at her over his shoulder and sighed. "You're stubborn, I'll give ya that." God, part of him knew the lady was right. And that it was logical and that it was probably the smart thing to do, but he had a feeling he'd be far too aware of the situation to be able to catch a breath.

Pressing his lips tightly together to avoid his jaw from dropping, Adrian quickly turned his attention back towards the hatch. Clearing his throat, he tried focusing on the task at hand. "Err, right." He blinked, his brows furrowing. "Well, that's lovely and all." He reached for his pocket knife, but didn't flip it open until he had it by the hatch. He dipped the edge of the blade into the small space between the hatch and the roof and tried moving the hatch far enough up for him to get his fingers underneath. "If I get this thing open, we don't have to worry about... Sharing body heat." Or so he hoped, anyways.

[Deleted]

    "Anytime," she replied, her smile only slightly suggestive. Hey, she was who she was. Despite her best attempts, she couldn't completely stamp out her nature. He seemed to be more comfortable than he had been earlier though, so that was good. Sometimes she greatly enjoyed making the innocent blush and stumble, but tonight, if they had to share each other's company, then she didn't want him to have to suffer too badly.  

    Selina offered him a wry smirk, "I promise I don't have any lice, though, if you're still suspicious, you can feel free to check me," she replied with a grin. He was kind of adorable, and she didn't feel near as on edge with him as she usually did around strangers. Perhaps it was because she still felt like the older one of the pair, despite his age. 

    
    "Thank you. It's not the first I've heard that," she admitted with a laugh. Although usually it was said with a bit more cruelty and a few nasty names added on, so this was a nice change.

    
    Selina tensed at the knife, but didn't move. She was quickly able to realize why he'd pulled it out and she watched him in interest for a few moments, highly amused by his response to her. "If you say so," she agreed with a playful smile as she leaned back and stared at the sky, always keeping the knife within her peripheral vision. She'd never let it leave her sight if she could help it, but that was merely instinct, nothing more.

[Adrian Bennett]

Shaking his head, Adrian didn't even bother to look at the girl. He figured it was easier for him to control the situation and his own embarrassment if he didn't. As sad as it was to say, most of Adrian's experiences being around other girls was his own sister and he didn't exactly consider that an experience at all. In fact, he was fairly sure that didn't count. Now, that didn't mean he'd never met a girl before, of course, but he usually didn't hang out with other people save for his sister and Oliver. "I'm good," he replied.

He managed to lift the hatch far enough for his to slide his fingers underneath. The hatch wasn't heavy by any means, but getting it up was tricky nonetheless. Pushing it open, he let it drop to the other side as carefully and with as little sound as he could muster. Once he had, he flicked the pocketknife closed and put it back into his booth.

He gestured towards the now open hatch and looked over at the girl. "I'll see if the coast is clear." He didn't think anyone would be in there. He'd been into the small room before. It wasn't overly big. With his height, he'd have to crane his neck in order to stand up and the room would probably fit two-three mattresses and maybe a dresser, and that was about it. This was also the only way inside. But you could never be too sure. Looking down, he stared into the darkness, listening and looking for any sign of movement as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within. He reached his hand inside and knocked on the ceiling and then, he waited.

After a minute of silence, Adrian swung his feet into the hole and dropped down to the floor below. Again, he waited for any sign of sound or movement, but there was none, save for the sound of his breathing and the loud thumping of his heart. "It's clear!"

[Deleted]

    Selina made sure to note exactly where that little pocket knife of his was stored, before she nodded as he went to make sure there was nothing in the room, allowing him to do as he pleased. She didn't bother to point out that she could probably handle any nasty surprises up there better than he could, as he seemed to be aware that she wasn't a delicate spring flower. Selina got up slowly, making sure to keep crouched down in the shadows as she made her way over to the hatch he'd disappeared into. 

    She wasn't worried, but if anything happened and he needed backup, she wouldn't be far behind. She didn't care if he got hurt or anything. Really, she didn't. They were just helping each other out until morning and then they'd go their separate ways. Besides, a corpse was a hell of a lot colder than a living body, so she was still well within the realm of selfishness.

    When he moved to actually enter the hatch, she watched with interest, ready to follow him at the slightest irregularity. She just nodded as he claimed no one was down there and followed after him, landing next to him and wincing slightly as her legs jarred from the impact. "How did you find this little place anyhow?" she asked in curiosity as she glanced around the room, waiting for her eyes to acclimate to her surroundings.

    She was quite happy to have finally gotten out of the cold. A nasty breeze had been starting to make her wish she'd braved the back streets. 

[Adrian Bennett]

Holding the palm of his hand over his eyes to shield them from the dust and sand that flew into the air as the girl jumped down, Adrian shrugged. "After spending so many years in the city as I have, you eventually find small places like these." He'd used this room several times before when night came down far too quickly for him to go back home. It wasn't the safest of places, of course, but most of the time it had to do. At least it seemed to be somewhat hidden, and looking from the dust and sand spread across the floor, few people, if any ever used it.

Adrian closed the hatch behind them and once again, darkness seemed to swallow him whole. It took him a few seconds of blinking before his eyes started to adjust to the darkness. Reaching his hands out, he used them along with his feet to guide him across the room. He even had to crane his neck down to avoid smacking it against the ceiling - sometimes he wished he'd been shorter, instead of being 5'10. He wasn't the tallest, sure, but it was more than enough.

"It's not the warmest place in town, but at least it's better than staying out in the open," he said as he knelt down, patting the ground with his hand. A small smile formed on his lips as he felt something soft against his fingertips. It wasn't blanket or anything specifically warm. Nothing more than a ragged cloth - but it was better than nothing.

[Deleted]

    Selina nodded at that and studied what she could with what little light was coming from above them. She coughed lightly as the dust found it's way into her lungs, but she'd take dusty over windy and cold any day. She just hoped they wouldn't get any surprise visitors later, but she doubted that as from what she'd observed no one had likely used this place in a few weeks, if not months or years. "Were you born here?" she asked in curiosity when he mentioned years in the city. As he shut the hatch and enclosed the both of them in pitch black she wondered if it even mattered. He didn't seem like to the type to work with the Furrina

    Selina waited patiently until she could at least make out a few vague shapes in the dark. "True, and hey, the offer still stands if you get cold," she added with a shrug that he likely couldn't see. She slowly felt her way to a wall and sat down against it, having heard him moving in the dark and not wanting to get in the way. She didn't mind sleeping on hard surfaces in the slightest, and she was tempted to just lay next to the wall and fall asleep.

    Unfortunately, she was still wide awake. Selina glanced in the direction she'd heard him move in, leaning her head back against the wall and uncaring if a few critters ended up crawling on her or in her hair. Right now, she was rather determined not to think about such things. She absently thought about getting back to her job the next morning and wondered if she'd be late.

    Her body was on a biological schedule and she didn't worry too much about oversleeping, but she also wondered what her boss' reaction would be if she did. She'd always been early, working her ass off to keep this job and she was always terrified that one slip up would leave her homeless and taking offers that were sometimes worse than remaining jobless.

[Adrian Bennett]

"Nah," the British-Southerner drawled, shrugging his shoulders. "I was born out in the Scorch, but came into the city with--" he cut himself off and furrowed his brows. Mentioning his sister didn't sound like a good idea. Not that he thought this girl would ever do anything to hurt his sister, but you could never be too sure. "--with some other Wanderers and well. Been here ever since." He scratched the back of his neck and looked over the small room again. "You?"

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied wryly. But he honestly didn't see himself taking her up on that offer, regardless of how could he was. The only way he saw it happening was if she got cold and he felt too bad about it. Which, sadly, was very likely. He was a dumbass like that. Far too gullible and easy to manipulate through guilt. He hoped it wasn't too obvious though. That would have sucked.

He looked around then, trying to see if he could see where she was sitting even in the darkness. He could vaguely make out her shape and started moving towards her and when he felt he was close enough, he tossed the cloth at her. "It's not all that much, but it should keep gettin' rid of some of the cold." With that, he sat down a few feet away from her and stretched his arms above his head. Man, he missed Moot. Moot was hit pet dog and he was such a big cuddler. It was nice having him around, as his fur seemed to be warmer than any blanket out there.